Numbers 3 · Verse 40

Numbers 3:40

And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

Numbers 3:40, King James Version

Numbers 3:40 in other translations

BSB	Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.
WEB	The LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
ASV	And Jehovah said unto Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
YLT	And Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel from a son of a month and upward, and take up the number of their names;
DARBY	And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
BBE	And the Lord said to Moses, Let all the first male children be numbered, and take the number of their names.
Webster	And the LORD said to Moses, number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

What does Numbers 3:40 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 3:40-51

40-51. Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, &c.--The principle on which the enumeration of the Levites had been made was now to be applied to the other tribes. The number of their male children, from a month old and upward, was to be reckoned, in order that a comparison might be instituted with that of the Levites, for the formal adoption of the latter as substitutes for the first-born. The Levites, amounting to twenty-two thousand, were given in exchange for an equal number of the first-born from the other tribes, leaving an excess of two hundred seventy-three; and as there were no substitutes for these, they were redeemed at the rate of five shekels for each (Nu 18:15, 16). Every Israelite would naturally wish that his son might be redeemed by a Levite without the payment of this tax, and yet some would have to incur the expense, for there were not Levites enough to make an equal exchange. Jewish writers say the matter was determined by lot, in this manner: Moses put into an urn twenty-two thousand pieces of parchment, on each of which he wrote "a son of Levi," and two hundred seventy-three more, containing the words, "five shekels." These being shaken, he ordered each of the first-born to put in his hand and take out a slip. If it contained the first inscription, the boy was redeemed by a Levite; if the latter, the parent had to pay. The ransom-money, which, reckoning the shekel at half a crown, would amount to 12s. 6d. each, was appropriated to the use of the sanctuary. The excess of the general over the Levitical first-born is so small, that the only way of accounting for it is, by supposing those first-born only were counted as were males remaining in their parents' household, or that those first-born only were numbered which had been born since the departure from Egypt, when God claimed all the first-born as his special property.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 3:40-51

The number of the first-born, and that of the Levites, came near to each other. Known unto God are all his works beforehand; there is an exact proportion between them, and so it will appear, when they are compared together. The small number of first-born, over and above the number of the Levites, were to be redeemed, and the redemption-money given to Aaron. The church is called the church of the first-born, which is redeemed, not as they were, with silver and gold; but, being devoted by sin to the justice of God, is ransomed with the precious blood of the Son of God. All men are the Lord's by creation, and all true christians are his by redemption. Each should know his own post and duty; nor can any service required by such a Master be rightly accounted mean or hard.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Numbers 3:40 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068

אֶל\־'el-toH413

מֹשֶׁ֗הmo.ShehMosesH4872

פְּקֹ֨דpe.KodenrollH6485

כָּל\־kol-everyH3605

בְּכֹ֤רbe.KhorfirstbornH1060

זָכָר֙za.KharmaleH2145

לִבְנֵ֣יliv.Neiof [the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

מִבֶּן\־mi.ben-from a son ofH1121

חֹ֖דֶשׁCho.desha monthH2320

וָמָ֑עְלָהva.Ma.'e.lahand up -wardsH4605

וְשָׂ֕אve.Sa'and takeH5375

אֵ֖ת'et<obj.>H853

מִסְפַּ֥רmis.Par[the] number ofH4557

שְׁמֹתָֽם\׃she.mo.Tamnames theirH8034

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 3:40

Numbers 3:15
Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Isaiah 4:3
And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
Revelation 14:4
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Hebrews 12:23
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Numbers 3:12
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
Exodus 32:26-29
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
Philippians 4:3
And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Psalms 87:6
The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.
Numbers 3:45
Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the Lord.
Luke 10:20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

12,15,45; Ex 32:26-29; Ps 87:6; Isa 4:3; Lu 10:20; Php 4:3
2Ti 2:19; Heb 12:23; Re 3:5; 14:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Numbers 3:39
All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
Numbers 3:40
And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
Numbers 3:41
And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

Read all of Numbers 3

Numbers 3:40 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y Jehová dijo á Moisés: Cuenta todos los primogénitos varones de los hijos de Israel de un mes arriba, y toma la cuenta de los nombres de ellos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et l’ Éternel dit à Moïse: Dénombre tous les premiers-nés mâles des fils d’Israël, depuis l’âge d’un mois et au-dessus, et relève le nombre de leurs noms.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Mustere alle männlichen Erstgeborenen der Kinder Israel, von einem Monat und darüber, und nimm die Zahl ihrer Namen auf.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et ait Dominus ad Moysen: Numera primogenitos sexus masculini de filiis Israël ab uno mense et supra, et habebis summam eorum.